Locations (Page 57) - Cicada Mania

Locations where cicadas can be found, including countries and continents.

November 12, 2014

New Zealand cicada season

Filed under: New Zealand | Websites — Dan @ 11:25 am

Cicada season in New Zealand begins in November and lasts throughout their Summer months.

The species Maoricicada hamiltoni (Myers, 1926) aka Hamilton’s Cicada, in particular, emerges in November. M. hamiltoni is known for its abundant hair-like setulae (see an image on this page).

Here is a list of the best New Zealand cicada links:

New Zealand Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae): A virtual identification guide (landcareresearch.co.nz) A wonderful web site. Includes a visual identification guide, checklist, and image gallery. Photos of dozens of species.
Cicada Central: New Zealand (uconn.edu) Cicada Central’s New Zealand cicada pages.
Suzy’s World Cicada page (suzy.co.nz) Fun, kid-friendly presentation of cicada information.
An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand (teara.govt.nz) Three paragraphs of information.
Introducing cicadas (teara.govt.nz) Photos, sounds and 4 paragraphs of information.
New Zealand cicadas (troutbum.co.nz)
Large photos of Kikihia and Amphipsalta.

Here is a nice article about the cicada Sounds of a Kiwi summer:

We have around 40 species of cicada in New Zealand, and probably the most familiar to us is the clapping cicada, which is actually two very closely related species that form the basis of our summer soundtrack in much of the country.

Some cicada New Zealand photos:

Awesome Cicada photos from New Zealand: Steve Reekie is a great
nature photographer. Take a look at some of his cicada photos: Gone But Not Forgotten, Chorus Cicada, Cicada Nymph, and Little Grass Cicada
A Flickr gallery of New Zealand Cicadas

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October 5, 2014

What is the loudest cicada?

Africa is home to the Loudest cicada

A recent BBC article says researcher John Petti as found the answer: Brevisana brevis, an African cicada, reaches 106.7 decibels — with the loudest North American cicada, Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri at 105.9 decibels. Their sound was measured at a distance of 50cm (approximately 20 inches). Specifics about the equipment used and calibration of said equipment is not mentioned.

There are over 3500 types of cicadas in the world, and for now, Brevisana brevisis the king of the insect noisemakers. More information on Petti’s study can be found here. Sound files of Brevisiana brevis.

In North America

The article does introduce room for skepticism and debate, by noting that other species come very close (Diceroprocta apache), that the Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri alarm call reaches 108.9 decibels and a North American study that suggests decibels are correlated to body mass (and Brevisana brevis is not the most massive cicada).

Megatibicen pronotalis photo by Roy Troutman, taken in Batavia, Ohio.

In Australia

According to the book Australian Cicadas by M.S. Moulds (New South Wales University Press, 1990) Cyclochila australasiae and Thopha saccata reach nearly 120db at close range. The “at close range” might be the key difference in measuring the sound, as Petti measured at a distance of 50cm.

Double Drummer (Thopha saccata), a cicada found in Australia, can reach 120db at close range. Photo by Kevin Lee.

What about Magicicada in the U.S.?

Personally, I’ve observed Magicicada cassini choruses achieve between 85 & 86 decibels (link to video), and M. cassini responding to fingersnaps (mimics female wing flicks) at as high as 116 decibels (link to video) 35s in). The 116 decibels level was recorded with the insect standing on the microphone of my Extech 407730. Magicicada choruses have been documented to reach 100 decibels

Magicicada chorus at around 80db:

Some people want to know how loud a cicada can get just because it is a cool fact to know, but others are concerned about noise-induced hearing loss (about which, I am not an expert). Both decibels and prolonged exposure seem to matter. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders page on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, prolonged exposure to sounds over 85db can cause hearing loss (just above the chorus of a Magicicada). The WebMD harmful noise levels page has chainsaws and leaf blowers in the range of the loudest cicadas. Lessons learned: 1) Make sure you wear hearing protection if you plan on blowing leaves or searching for the loudest cicada, and 2) Do not complain about the cicadas in your yard — complain about your neighbors and their leaf blowers.

Male cicadas, in case you were wondering, use their opercula (flaps on their abdomen) to cover their tympana (the cicadas hearing organs) when they sing, so they don’t damage their own hearing. Cicadas — male and female — listen with their tympana.

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August 3, 2014

Iván Jesús Torresano García’s Cicadas of Spain

Iván Jesús Torresano García send us a dozens of cicada photos from Spain, where he resides. According to Iván June is a peak time for cicadas in Spain. Cicadas common to the area are: Cicada orni, Lyristes (old Tibicen) plebejus, Tettigetta argentata, Hilapura varipes, Euryphara contentei (miniature), Tibicina tomentosa, and finally the brownish “Barbara Lusitanica Cicada”.

Iván Jesús Torresano García Four cicadas from Spain

Galleries:

Here are some of these cicadas captured by Iván.

Cicada orni:

Cicada orni is one of the most common cicadas in Spain and all of Europe. The are incredibly well camouflaged.

Tettigettalna argentata:

Hilaphura varipes:

Euryphara contentei:

For more information of the cicadas of Spain, visit Songs of European Singing Cicadas.

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July 27, 2014

Australian Cicada News

Filed under: Australia | L. W. Popple | Video — Dan @ 1:44 pm

It’s Winter in Australia but I have two cool pieces of Australian Cicada news for you.

First, Australian cicada expert and researcher Lindsay Popple has created a new website about the cicadas of Australia.

Also, he’s been placing cicada songs on SoundCloud as well:

@cicadamania The sounds that will link into my almost completed cicada website have already been uploaded here: https://t.co/yd9bGupveR

— Lindsay Popple (@_DrPop_) July 24, 2014

Second, Samuel Orr has shared some video of cicadas from Australia and New Zealand on Vimeo. I believe this video will be part of the cicada documentary he is working on.

Australia and New Zealand Cicadas from motionkicker on Vimeo.

Update! L. W. Popple said on Twitter that cicada season will start in Australia in 1 or 2 weeks! Australia has 8 month long cicada season!

@wapogipo88 @cicadamania With Tibicen out in USA and Birrima out in Australia, it will be world #cicadas in stereo! pic.twitter.com/zdFLBAnLOU

— Lindsay Popple (@_DrPop_) July 28, 2014

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July 10, 2014

A new cicada keychain toy from Japan

Filed under: Japan | Toys and Amusements — Dan @ 4:43 am

There is a new cicada keychain toy from Japan. It comes in five colors, and produces its sound using a wind up mechanism. Buy it here.

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May 28, 2014

Chremistica umbrosa

Filed under: Chremistica | Singapore — Dan @ 4:57 am

Chremistica umbrosa can be found in South-East Asia, in particular Singapore. If you go to see them, bring an umbrella. I don’t know why these cicadas pee this often, but I imagine they are eliminating some toxin or waste or chemical (sugar, perhaps) that is not good for them.

Watch the videos:

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May 8, 2014

Gaeana atkinsoni from the Uttara Kannada district in India

Filed under: Gaeana | Gaeanini | India | Raghu Ananth — Tags: G. atkinsoni — Dan @ 1:46 am

Here’s a cicada I never thought I would see, but thanks to Raghu Ananth, here are two photos of a ~~Tosena sibyla~~ Gaeana atkinsoni.

Gaeana atkinsoni Distant, 1892 from Uttara Kannada district in India by Raghu Ananth

This photo was taken on May 2nd, 2009:

Gaeana atkinsoni Distant, 1892 from Uttara Kannada district in India by Raghu Ananth

Note the characteristic double stripes on the forewings. Note how the smaller stripe doesn’t make it all the way to the claval fold.

Here are observations about this cicada provided by Raghu Ananth:

Brief description –
The cicada has red eyes, red thorax with black patch above, red abdomen, black wings with yellow veins and a large yellow patch lines on the wings.

Numbers. found – several dozens.
Habitat – tree barks near forest path
length – 4-5 cms

The orange-red coloured cicada is one of the beautiful cicadas in the forests. It has a red body, red eyes and black wings with yellow patches. During one of our trips to the evergreen forests in the Uttara Kannada district (Karnataka), we spotted two of them camouflaged on the bark of each tree, actively walking up and down and then appearing a colourful red when in flight from one bark of the tree to another. Their singing, however, seemed not in sync with each another. On our approach, they would try to hide behind the bark or fly to a distant tree.

This illustration of a ~~T. sibylla~~ Gaeana atkinsoni comes from the document A monograph of oriental cicadidae (1892) by W. L. Distant.

Updated (5/8/2014) with a video by Harinath Ravichandran:

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April 27, 2014

Cicada anatomy photo by Santisuk Vibul. Dundubia sp.

Filed under: Anatomy | Dundubia | Santisuk Vibul | Thailand — Dan @ 8:56 pm

This photo points out the Tymbal (the organ that makes the cicada’s signature sound), the Tympanum (their hearing organ), the Operculum (which covers the Tympanum), and its wings.

Dundubia

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April 20, 2014

Song of a Dundubia sp. cicada recorded by Santisuk Vibul

Filed under: Santisuk Vibul | Sounds | Thailand — Dan @ 8:50 am

Here’s the song of a cicada belonging to the Dundubia genus recorded by Santisuk Vibul in Bangkok, Thailand.

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March 29, 2014

Australian Cicadas by M.S. Moulds

Filed under: Australia | Books — Dan @ 6:47 pm

Australian Cicadas by M.S. Moulds was first published in 1990 by the New South Wales University Press. It is the best reference for Australian cicadas that I’ve found, and I use it at least once a week.

The book covers common names of cicada, life history, predators & parasites, distribution, anatomy, sound production & reception, and classification. The book also features an extensive catalog of Australian cicadas including photos, maps, and descriptions of their behavior.

Australian Cicadas by Max Moulds

I found my copy used. It was expensive but well worth the price.

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